The poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost, talks about unbridled emotions. Nevertheless, he leaves it to the reader to interpret its meaning. My initial interpretation of the poem was different from what I learned by looking at Frost’s other work. His poems are usually introspective and deals with one’s own point of view.

Frost talks about the ultimate end of the world by either fire or ice. I see the word “world” as being an individual’s life and how their own perception of reality is more real than reality itself.

This person has strong desires, fiery even, to achieve their goals. Stopping at nothing and crosses over the thin line between ambition and greed and that is what will cause their doom. Hence, Frost mentions, “holds with those who favor fire”.

However, the person in question does not “perish” just once, by falling from the zenith of their wants. The icy hatred towards oneself, for what their desires made them to be, a cold-hearted cynic is what further causes their internal annihilation. Leaving them to be no more than a frozen corpse with a mind that is alive. Thus, he states, “for destruction ice is also great and would suffice”.

Catastrophe does not always mean mass destruction; a singular mind can meet its fate by their own concoction of emotions and can end by their internal fire or ice.